Humble Beginnings
by ObakeAri
Summary: Prologue to Eyes of the Soul! (actually wrote a long time ago) Lord Sesshomaru, the cold and powerful ruler of the Western Lands. He detested humans and their capacity for trivial emotions like love. And yet even he can falter when his newborn child is placed in his arms. Currently a Oneshot...may change later on!


Dog Demons.

The most powerful of them all. Unrivaled by none it is said that Dog Demons have ruled the Western Lands since history can remember.

"Hmph, I wonder what father would say to me right now, at this very moment," Sesshomaru said to himself as he stood outside a small house, listening to the labored breaths of the woman inside, "Father, as powerful as he was, fell to the heart of a human woman, and as a result conceived that half-breed demon, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru grimaced at the sound of his brother's name. There was a time, Sesshomaru thought, that he might not have minded being in the same vicinity as his little brother. They might have actually gotten along. But that time had since passed. Ever since that damn hanyou lost his life to his love for a human priestess and ended up sealed to a tree. That was 34 years ago. For all the demon cared, Inuyasha was dead.

But who was he, to judge his father with such scrutiny? Should he be considered a hypocrite? Sesshomaru grimaced. No. This child was no half-demon like Inuyasha. But she was no full-fledged dog demon either.

Sesshomaru's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a baby's cries. The demon stiffened.

"It's a girl!" he heard a woman's voice say: the one who had helped deliver the child. The woman stood and lifted the screen at the doorway, beckoning for Sesshomaru to enter. "Lord Sesshomaru," she said, "Please, come in here."

Sesshomaru let out a frown, how he detested the fact that they had to come to a human village for such a matter, and yet his heart raced on the inside. What was this feeling he had? He had felt it so many times before, yet he still could not figure out what this feeling was. No, he knew what it was, yet despite everything that had happened to him over the past two years, he still couldn't believe that such feelings could overwhelm him: Lord Sesshomaru.

The moment the demon entered the house, his eyes met Kagura's. This woman whom he had met many short years ago. Her origins were still a mystery to him, yet he found he could not stray away from her for long. Time passed, and the demon slowly began to discover that he had fallen for a trivial human emotion: love. He could still remember the first time he laid eyes on the spider-shaped scar on the woman's otherwise flawless back. She seemed saddened that day, she had mentioned feeling slight guilt for dragging the dog demon into…something. She never said what it was, as if she were too ashamed to admit to him her history.

But now she cradled their child in her arms. Who knew that the once seemingly cold-hearted Kagura of the Wind could caress a baby so motherly? Who knew that the vial and equally cold Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands could fall in love? Who knew that he could father such a child? Yet there he knelt, at Kagura's side, staring at the baby girl's lovely little face. He lifted a hand, as if to caress her cheek, but hesitated. The child's eyes were closed as she slept peacefully. Tufts of dark, brown—almost black— yet thin hair laid against the baby's head like little fuzz. She bore the same markings on her face and wrists as her father.

The baby yawned, stretching out her arms. This act, surprisingly to Sesshomaru, made him chuckle. Kagura smiled and gave Sesshomaru a somewhat puzzled look. The baby opened her eyes—a bright golden color like her father, yet they seemed somewhat glazed over, making it appear that she didn't have any pupils. The child looked around, trying to find the owner of the chuckle, but strangely couldn't find it.

"Hmm, you would think after all that she could at least look something like me…" Kagura mumbled, a frown fixating her lips, "I guess since I'm such the nice person that I am, I will let you hold her. But take note you are never _ever _touching me again. Not after that hell you put me through!"

Sesshomaru had a feeling that Kagura was only half-joking, but he rolled his eyes all the same, taking the small girl in his arms. The child looked at him, but her blank expression made it appear as if she couldn't even see her father. She lifted a hand and patted it against his chest armor. Sesshomaru smiled and held the child tighter. He lifted a hand and pinched the girl's nose gently. The baby let out a babbling laugh, closing her eyes, while melting into his arms.

"What should we name her?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagura shrugged, rolling over on her side, facing away from the demon.

"I dunno, you tell me," She said. Kagura then closed her eyes, her form relaxing for the first time since she went into labor, perhaps even the first time Sesshomaru had met her. Kagura had always seemed as if she were running away from…something.

Sesshomaru let out a growl. Kagura was never helpful to begin with. He stared at the child for a moment, smiling. Despite what Kagura thought, she looked almost identical to her mother aside from a few traits. The baby was now blowing bubbles out of her mouth, her hand still on Sesshomaru's chest. The baby turned and nestled into her father, causing the demon to chuckle to himself again.

Kagura yawned. "It seems she brings you a lot of joy. I've rarely heard you laugh this much," she said sleepily, a smile stretching across her lips, "that makes two of us I guess…she's such a joyous little child…"

"Joyous…" Sesshomaru repeated quietly to himself. Yes, that was a perfect description of the girl. "Her name…" Sesshomaru began. Kagura turned her head slightly, listening to what her lover had to say: "is Etsuko."


End file.
